Annunciator for cars.



Patented June 27, I899. F. BURGER &. H. M. WILLIAMS.

ANNUNGIATOR FOR CARS.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

m: "cams PETERS ca, PHDTWLITHOu WASHINGTON. nv c.

Patented June 27, I899.

F. BURGER & H. 4. WILLIAMS. ANNUNGIATOB FOR CARS.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- %|gz;2wemfol MM...

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ BURGER AND HENRY M. \VILLIAMS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA; SAID BURGER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO SAID WILLIAMS.

ANNUNCIATOR FOR CARSV SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,902, dated June 27 1899. Application filed September 24,1898. Serial No. 691,833. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: received and transmitted. These megaphones Be it known that we, FRANZ BURGER and are so arranged in front of the driver or mo- HENRY M. WILLIAMS, citizens of the United torman that it is possible for him to speak di- States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county rectly into the same without the necessity of 55' of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented turning his head or diverting his gaze from certain new and usefullmprovementsin Anthe track in front of the car. Within the nunciators for Cars, of which the following-is pipe 1, at points adjacent the megaphones, a specification. are valves 1*, which may be opened or closed 7 This invention relates to certain new and at will. Intersecting the pipe 1 about cen- 6o to useful improvements in annunciators for trallyof its length isa valve-casiug3, in which street-cars and other conveyances, having for is fitted to rotatea three-way valve 4, and its object to provide simple and efficient means leading from this casing is a megaphone 5, so whereby a motorman or conductor may comarranged as to direct sound downwardly in municate with passengers individuallyor colalldirections. Likewiseintersecting the pipe 65 lectively and whereby the passengers may 1 at separated points are a series of speakingcommunicate with the motorman without the tubes 6, which extend down the sides of the necessity of the motorman or driver quitting car into convenient position for passengers hisstationorofthepassenger leavinghis seat. to speak through, and at their lower ends A further object of the invention is to so said tubes are provided with mouthpieces 7 7o arrange the apparatus that suchcommunicaand with the usual butterfly-valves 8.

tion may be effected without the attention of The three-way valve 4 is so constructed as the motorman being diverted from the track to place the opposite ends of the pipe 1 into in front of the car or from persons desiring to communication with each other or to place board the car. either of said ends into communication with 7 5 2 5 With these objects in View the invention the megaphone 5. Means are provided for consists in the novel construction, combinaautomatically maintaining the valve in such tion, and arrangement of the parts hereinafter position as will place the two ends of the pipe more particularly described. 1 into communication, to the endthat a pas-' In the accompanying drawings, forming a senger may transmit a message through any 30 part of this specification, and in which like one of the speaking-tubes 6 to the motorman. letters and numerals of reference designate This means may be variouslyconstructed and corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a lon'gitudiarranged. That shown, however, is simple nal sectional view of a street-car with apparaand efiective and is preferred for this reason. tus embodying the invention'applied thereto. Connected to the valve 4 upon the exterior 5 Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the apparatus deof the casing 3 is a pinion 9, with which intached. Fig. 3 is an. enlarged detail view of termeshes arack-bar 10-, guided to reciprocate the megaphone audits valve-operating mechin guides 12, secured in any suitable manner anism, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illusto the car-frame. Near its opposite ends the trating the arrangement of the parts. rack-bar is cut away to form shoulders 13, o 1 0 Referring more particularly to the drawwhich constitute stops adapted to engage ings, A designates a street-car, which may be with the edges of the guides 12 and to limit of any ordinary construction. As shown, the the movement of the rack-bar in either direccar is adapted to run upon a track in either tion. Centrally of its length there projects direction and is provided at each end with a from the rack-bar a lug 14, to which are con- 5 5 platform. Extendinglongitudinally through nected two springs 15, which extend, respecthe car, at the top thereof andpreferably centively, to and are secured to the guides 12, the trally of its width, is a pipe 1, the said pipe said springsservingnormally to hold the racklikewise extending beneath the hoods at the bar in its central position, as shown in Fig. 3, opposite ends of the car and having its ends and thereby maintain the valve 1 in position 50 projected downwardly and terminating in to. place the two ends of the pipe 1 into commegaphones 2, through which sound is both munication.

Attached to the ends of the rack-bar 10 are cords 16, which extend to the opposite ends of the car and pass over pulleys 17 downwardly to the ends of levers 18, to which they are connected. These levers are arranged beneath the platform of the car and each is pivoted thereto at one of its ends. Extending from the levers upwardly through openings in the car-platform into positions convenient to be pressed upon by the foot of the motorman or driver are short rods 19, and these rods when depressed serve to lower the free ends of the levers 18, thereby pulling upon the cords 16 and shifting the rack-bar 10, causing the valve 4, to be rotated to place either one end or the other of the pipe 1 into communication with the megaphone 5, de pending, of course, upon which of the levers 18 is operated. If now the motorman speaks into the megaphone 2 in front of him, the sound will be conducted through the pipe 1 and megaphone 5 and be diffused within the car, so that it will be audible to all of the passengers therein.

By the employment of the apparatus described in the foregoing it will be obvious that a passenger may readily communicate with the motorman at all times without the necessity of leaving his seat and traversing the car and the motorman may send or receive communications without diverting his gaze from in front of the car.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts shown and described may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, since and communicating therewith, a valve for controlling such communication, and means for operating the valve, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a pipe extending longitudinally of-a car from opposite ends thereof, of a megaphone upon the interior of the car intersecting said pipe intermediate its ends, a valve controlling communication between the pipe and megaphone, means for operating said valve to place the two ends of the pipe normally into connection, and means for shifting the valve to place either end ofthe pipe into communication with the megaphone, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER. HENRY M. WILLIAMS.

Vv'itnesses:

GEO. K. TORRENOE, J OHN ZIMMERMANN. 

